Poor Boy's Riverside Inn

It was our first time visiting Riverside, Lafayette. Me and my boyfriend choosed this restaurant because his local friend informed us to eat here. It was very lovely restaurant, and it was my first time visited Lafayette. We came on the weekend and lucky for us we got a table without making reservation eventhough the place very full. At first they gave us fluffy bread that I really like since I love soft and warm bread. And we ordered as a starter a bowl of CHEF RICHARD'S CHICKEN & ANDOUILLE GUMBO and yes, It is really award winner, I am new into Louisiana food, but so far this is the best Gumbo I ever had. And for the entree we order CRAWFISH DINNER, everything inside fantastic, especially the pie. And when we were in doubt decided to take sweet potato beignets or home bourboun bread pudding because we were to full to have both, our lovely server said to us she can arrange for us to get half of those. And it really superb experience. I will recommended this place to others friends, since we are a tourist crossing continents. Thank you for wonderful experience.

The chicken & andouille sausage gumbo was delicious and very authentic. The crawfish dinner platter was also delicious. Most of the items were deep fried except for the salad and etouffee. The crawfish bisque was a cream style bisque and was good although I prefer a traditional brown roux based bisque. We were a little disappointed in the sweet potato begnets as they were too sweet for our palate.

We hosted our company Christmas party for Cloteaux Roofing & Construction at the Cottage Café at Riverside Inn, and it was absolutely perfect. The food was incredible, and the space was the perfect size for our group of 23 — cozy, festive, and beautifully decorated for Christmas. Tessa and Katie took amazing care of us and made the night so much fun. Rhea helped me plan everything and was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish. Even the raccoons made an appearance and turned the party up 😂 Riverside Inn holds a special place in our hearts — my husband proposed to me here in 2024 — so being able to celebrate our team here made the night even more meaningful. If you don’t know, now you know… call Riverside Inn for your next holiday party. (& Cloteaux 😁)

Very nostalgic. Lots of history from when the oil and gas industry was booming in Acadiana. The fact that this restaurant is tucked away and sort of hidden and has remained open and flourishing for almost 100 years speaks volumes about the quality of their product. Poor Boy's Riverside Inn delivers a more "upscale" version of local Cajun seafood cuisine. The lump crabmeat seems to never run out, hence one of their taglines "Get Lumped!" I would normally rate the service a solid 5 stars because the service is usually on point. Unfortunately, the day I am reviewing about our server seemed missing in action. I would have rated the service that day lower but I don't want the overall rating for service here to get dinged for possibly someone's off day. Keep in mind they close after lunch and open again for dinner so no mid afternoon visits here. But, my presumption is that they are dedicating that time to have everything fresh and prepared for the dinner guests. If you are visiting Acadiana and want a high quality option for seafood, definitely consider this spot!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an amazing birthday dinner at Riverside Inn last night! I always go for the Crabmeat Imperial, and once again it was absolutely off the charts. If you’re looking for the best crabmeat and some of the finest food in town, this place is hands-down the top choice. Can’t wait to come back again soon! Janie Varisco

Riverside's Cottage hosted my sister's wedding last night and it couldn't have turned out better! The venue was beautiful, the food was amazingly delicious, but the staff blew my mind! Ms. Rhea helped me through the planning process, the owners, Richard and Lori showed up to greet us at the wedding and then Dolly and Spencer took care of the food and bar and us! I can't express how wonderful it is to know that there are still restaurants that treat patrons with such care and attention. Top Notch!!!! Thank you!

I was highly impressed my first time here. The food was fantastic. The ambiance was great. The view fantastic. Super friendly trash pandas was an added bonus for this animal rescuer. No complaint. Oh, and the drinks are strong!

Great, although not my favorite, it is definitely a hidden gem. We loved seeing the raccoons outside! The only thing I wish was that the salad was bigger or had more it in, especially given the price of the meal. I loved the catfish! And the atmosphere is not for the shy lol, ultimately, something to get used to.

Poor Boy's Riverside Inn holds a special place in Acadiana's rich culinary history as the oldest restaurant in the parish. Despite having seen the restaurant's name many times, I had never dined there before. When searching for the perfect venue to celebrate my grandmother's 102nd birthday, I reached out to the Foodies of Lafayette Facebook group for recommendations. One of the owners, Lori, personally extended an invitation, and after seamless email communication, I secured a reservation for nine on February 15th at 6:30 p.m. The restaurant is nestled off a few back roads, which made navigation slightly challenging in the dark. However, upon arrival, we were charmed by its quaint and welcoming exterior. Situated near the water, the string lights and outdoor seating area created a warm and inviting atmosphere. A sign proudly highlighted the restaurant's legacy as the oldest in the parish, setting the stage for a dining experience steeped in tradition. Upon entering, we stepped into a separate bar area before reaching the main dining room. The hostess was friendly and acknowledged our reservation immediately. Given that we were celebrating a special milestone, we had balloons and plenty of attention, which made my grandmother's evening even more memorable. The restaurant's patrons and staff exuded warmth and hospitality, making us feel truly welcomed. Our server, Spence, was exceptional. He effortlessly managed our large party, providing attentive and personable service throughout the evening. To begin, we ordered a round of drinks, all reasonably priced, and I highly recommend their French 75, which was expertly crafted. For appetizers, we enjoyed fried and grilled crab claws, stuffed mushrooms both fried and grilled, and catfish bites. Each dish was flavorful and well-prepared. The restaurant's award-winning gumbo lived up to its reputation--my grandmother and 92-year-old aunt, both gumbo connoisseurs, thoroughly enjoyed it. For entrées, our table ordered a variety of dishes, including the shrimp dinner and the redfish extravaganza. I had the opportunity to sample several dishes and found the flavors well-balanced and satisfying. While the portion sizes were not oversized, they were appropriately portioned for individual servings. The highlight for me was the au gratin served with the shrimp dinner, which was absolutely fantastic. The freshly baked dinner rolls served at the beginning of the meal were so good that we requested a second helping. From the warm hospitality to the quality of the food, our experience at Poor Boy's Riverside Inn was outstanding. The restaurant provided the perfect setting for a memorable family celebration, and we are so grateful to have chosen this Acadiana gem for such a special occasion.

We enjoyed supper last evening, early. Had our usuals, lump crab in butter & the crab dinner; both their usual excellence. Another super special is their signature "Crab Imperial." This is a top-notch local seafood restaurant, and long time favorite. When I say "long-term", I'm almost 82 & have been a customer for over 65 years, since coming with my parents in the 1950's. I know of no other restaurant anywhere with that record of excellence & consistent performance. The specialty is Louisiana Atlantic blue crab, and in that genre, Riverside has no real peers. Yes, they offer a wider array including local crawfish, shrimp, & oysters; plus cold water lobsters & steaks. But our crab is delicate & must be handled with expertise. Riverside does that better than I could at home on the Teche. Secluded off street lot parking, swamp-ish theme landscaped grounds, locals bar, professional waitstaff. If unfamiliar w/ area, use your phone for directions. One can't go wrong here. 5+ Stars from me, every time. Don't stop until you get here ! Caveat, may be closed Sundays & Mondays, call first. Rick

My first time visiting today and the meal, service and experience was outstanding. Tessa was so friendly and helpful. The shrimp poboy was very good and the sweet potato fries were some of the best I've had. The complimentary cup of chicken noodle soup was delicious and the roll was so good. Took some bread pudding for later this evening and it tasted really good. Definitely recommend

The service was outstanding but I was disappointed in the portion size for a $30 platter. We ordered the platters thinking we'd bring the rest home but this wasn't the case! The shrimp in the salad were rubbery and the fried & stuffed shrimp left an after taste. The gumbo had a small amount of rice and a few tiny shrimp! I was sad since I remembered this place to be delicious many years ago so I suggested & bragged about it to friends but it was just ok...not worth the $$$ Another thing were the MANY raccoons that come right up to you as you're walking out. I think they're cute to look at until they run towards you, growl and try to bite you! I think this could potentially be dangerous for small children because the raccoons aren't scared! The inside of the restaurant looks the same to me as my first time here about 25 years ago with maybe new flooring but I'm not sure! Sadly, I don't think I'll go back

Can't believe we've been in Lafayette so long and not tried Riverside Inn. The location was great, and felt like we were going back in time but in a good way. The customer service was excellent, and was warmly greeted. We were able to receive our drinks quickly, (The Chardonnay was great). We were treated to a warm bread basket before we ordered our appetizer, the bread was fresh, warm and the perfect flavor, meaning the balance between sweet and savory, nothing was dominating. Our appetizer the crab cakes, let me repeat crab cake, was delicious, top three best ever, as we've never had it like this, crusted and fried however the filling, so light and airy filled with crab, just amazing. The Gumbo was delicious also, and had the depth of flavor that was a delight. The main course, I had the Ribeye that was cooked to perfection, and nice flavor from the fat, along with the baked sweet potato very nice. The grilled shrimp enhanced the taste. The shrimp pasta was amazing, and flavored with perfection. I also liked the cozy feeling inside which was intimate. Will definitely recommend.

Riverside's Cottage hosted my sister's wedding last night and it couldn't have turned out better! The venue was beautiful, the food was amazingly delicious, but the staff blew my mind! Ms. Rhea helped me through the planning process, the owners, Richard and Lori showed up to greet us at the wedding and then Dolly and Spencer took care of the food and bar and us! I can't express how wonderful it is to know that there are still restaurants that treat patrons with such care and attention. Top Notch!!!! Thank you!

My sister hosted my wedding at The Cooking Cottage @ Poor Boy's Riverside Inn last weekend, and it was perfect! The atmosphere & ambiance was magical, the staff went above & beyond and the food was PHENOMENAL! We enjoyed everything about the evening and look forward to dining at the restaurant again soon!

Love the location. Lunch special was outstanding. Atmosphere was conducive To business lunch. Service was excellent.

Awesome fresh seafood. Lobster and crabmeat o gratin were really exceptional. We are regulars an

The food was excellent. The service was outstanding. The drinks were on point. The host was very hospitable.

Tremendous in all categories. Unsurpassed Cajun dishes & hospitality that keep you coming back. Seafood in all forms of appetizers entrees. Enjoy!

What an amazing experience! This family owned and operated restaurant is top notch from start to finish.. It was worth the wait! I had the Kim Margarita which was tasty and a generous pour. We ordered the crab cakes as an appetizer and it was flavorful - the best I've had.. The Riverside Extravaganza was delicious and I am not recalling the name of my dish but it was Eggplant and Redfish, out of this world delicious! Highly recommend this dive..

Always great food, love the seafood, always fresh and seasoned perfectly. Steaks are great also.

This is a casual, friendly place (staff and patrons) with badly dated decor. Bar service was reasonably priced and good. But, except for the salads, the food was disappointing. The crawfish and corn soup was a salt mine. The crawfish half and half was mediocre, over-cooked, and far from generous. The crawfish dinner was a bit of a mess, especially the so-called pie. These people clearly mean well. Perhaps a bit more attention to detail would help?

Walking into restaurant we were met by beautiful raccoons and a beautiful walkway by a swamp scene like a movie. It was so impressive. The welcoming of the staff was amazing and the variety of food is just a broad mass amount of different Cajun food. We had a crab platter, fried gator, and charbroiled oysters. It was fabulous. Can't wait to go back soon!

Love love this restaurant! I've been eating there for the last 20 years and it is always amazing Seafood is wonderful Service is quick and friendly Ambience is great!

Everything was delicious! We had the 1/2 marinated & 1/2 fried Cajun Crab Fingers, shared a cup of Seafood Gumbo (next time I'll have a bowl to myself!), crawfish étouffée poor boy with sweet potato fries and the Crab stuffed blackened redfish with grilled veggies. We shared everything and were way in over our heads even before the complimentary bread came out. But with food this good who wouldn't want leftovers!! Admittedly, I wasted ketchup and ruined a few fries by putting it on the side. The gravy that leaked out was so much better on those fries than ketchup could ever be. All in all not only was the food AMAZING but this very cozy and tucked away business has been around for 90 years for a reason. Unbeatable customer service and an unforgettable experience. We look forward to stopping on our way back to Texas.

I dined early on a Friday with 5 friends. We had great service and the entrees were done well. However, me and another person took home an order of bread pudding to enjoy later. We both were very disappointed: after a bite (with the sauce), we both declined to eat the rest. There was a strong clove taste and it was just a scoop of brown stuff, no texture or moisture. The manager needs to oversee this dessert, as something must have gone wrong during the making of this recipe.

Atmosphere was amazing! Excellent food and great service. Loved the little raccoons near the entrance, they were so cute.

A legend to stop by to have a wonderful meal. Been coming here for years. The menu has a massive selection and top notch service.

We finally decided to try this restaurant and we were not very impressed with the food here. I ordered seafood gumbo, and it tasted like flour and not gumbo. The other food we ordered was not up to par either. We will maybe return one day to let them redeem themselves.

I liked the restaurant but I was in complete shock when I wanted to use the ladies bathroom and saw 5 crosses hanging in the wall of the bathroom. I got very offended and I felt how much it's un respectable to our loving Jesus Christ and God and it's shameful to do that. Talked to the manager and left a note for the owners and I really hope they will do something about it.

Step outside the ordinary and experience Classic Cajun cuisine that is nutritious and delicious. Excellent Eat Fit options not only for a night out on town or lunch, but also incredible catering menu for large events or office lunches. The atmosphere is something you don't want to miss!

After eating fresh seafood in Abbeville, I feel like we ate institutional food. So disappointing For a crab and shrimp dinner, we couldn't say that one dish was Good. Not going to recommend anything in the menu

Always all around best for all years they have served great food in an elegant Cajun setting.

Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. That's why they have been around for 91 years. It is out of the way so people have to want to go there. And in Cajun Country if the food is good the people will come. Been coming here for 50 years and the whole grilled flounder is my favorite.

We loved this place! Authentic food, local clientele. Cold Beer! The fish was excellent and though we were among the last to be seated for the evening, the service was superb. Worth a trip to Louisiana!

This was our first time here. We had friends coming in from Houston and my husband said we needed to try this place that he had heard so much about. The location is in an industrial park but the area where the restaurant is, is very pretty with a water view and lights on the trees. We had a reservation and a great spot by the window for our meal. My girlfriend and I ordered a bottle of wine, the guys got beer. We ordered the seafood salad and shared it between the 4 of us. It was delicious! We lingered before ordering our entrees and enjoyed talking and the view. We all ordered seafood dishes and they all were served hot and were delicious! Service was a little slow at the beginning and our server seemed to be a little inexperienced but she was friendly and efficient. The restaurant was packed the weekend before Mardi Gras. We will definitely be back!

It has definitely improved from what I remember back when! The last two times have been fantastic. And yes end with the sweet potato beignets. It is overly buttery and greasy but so worth it anyway. Oyster Rockefeller was done so well as it had plenty of spinach on top and oysters were good size. The alligator grilled was seasoned maybe a bit much but still great with the ramaloude . The crawfish and corn soup and the seafood gumbo are both probably better than most others I can think of. Flounder extravaganza is awesome and the shrimp pirogue delicious. The stuffed potato is excellent. The fried catfish was decent but juicy. Seriously this place is much better than I remember. Will be back to see if it holds up :)

We gathered here for a sad occasion/family reunion of sorts...we had a death in the family and although I didn't know the distant relative it was the first time I've seen my aunt and uncle in quite some time. It was an emotional evening but the staff at Riverside handled our table of 7 with humor and ease. The restaurant itself is a little hard to find...it's kind of tucked away on a busy street, but once we found it I was impressed at the beautiful location-outside there is lots of green space and a nice little pond even though you're just steps away from the busy main street. Inside was cozy and dimly lit. Our server was so sweet and patient with our large table and indecisiveness about what to order. We decided to share a bunch of different appetizers my favorite being the bacon wrapped shrimp (of course, because shrimp and bacon should be married) and the cheesy crab toast. Nothing too fancy, just good southern classics. Apparently the seafood salad here is world famous, so being a lover of seafood salad I ordered this. Good choice. The salad was enormous and full of chilled seafood. Crab, shrimp, crawfish mixed in some sort of mayo based dressing piled up high on a bed of romaine with olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese. It was excellent! I'd order this again for sure but not before trying more of what their menu has to offer. Everything sounded great and I'm looking forward to going back.

Well we had a coupon. Only reason we went. Same comment as 6 months ago. Over priced and hit and miss service. Wife got the "famous" seafood salad, could hardly find the crab, and at $27 again way over priced. Once you give them your cc, how long would you think it would take them to return it? Well after about 8 mins I got up and went to the cashier and asked did they have my cc? Yep sitting right there. Paid the bill and left. Unless your buying and I have an extra couple hours to waste, or maybe just maybe if I have a coupon I might go back.

I hadn't been here in years, but made a reservation for my date and I out of hopes that it was as good as I remembered. The pictures don't do it justice. We walked in and requested they add seats for four to our reservation for two. The hostess was so hospitable and had such a wonderful demeanor. In less than 10 minutes she arranged a table large enough for us while we ordered drinks at the bar. The bartender paid attention and made wonderful suggestions. Once seated at our table the two toddlers with us became restless and loud. The hostess politely brought them crayons and color sheets. We ordered two appetizers and each an entree. The food was all SO delicious. The wait staff was kind, patient, and courteous. We even ordered food to take home so we could try more menu items. When we got in our vehicles to leave, we realized the restaurant been closed for half an hour. We would have never known had we not checked, since the staff were so kind, patient, an courteous. I can't wait to go back! Thank y'all so much for making us feel so welcomed and appreciated.

Seafood salad is delicious! Lump crab, boiled shrimp & crawfish and there's A LOT of each!! Been coming here for years and it's consistently delicious!! Tourists should come here for true Louisiana cooking.

While the wait took almost an hour to be seated, service was good and food came out quickly. It's a very smart idea of them to have waiting tables right next to the bar! The drinks were excellent, I highly recommend getting something while you wait. They have nice lighting and a small path to walk around, with some very chubby resident raccoons who get fed the leftover bread by guests and staff. I was very happy to see several vegetarian options on the menu, that is very thoughtful of them! The veggie alfredo was ridiculously good and portion size was great. Would love to come back!

The food was wonderful, the atmosphere quite comfortable, the service was great, thank you Jensy, and the hosts Lori and Richard were outstanding, truly accomodating folks. It's definitely a must try! Will be a regular stop for me! You have to try the sweet potato beignets!

If you are looking for small portions and a high price, this is your place. The best thing on the menu was the bread they bring out before your actual entree. We ordered 2 of the RedFish Extravaganza's, the pics on the website are professionaly done. These plates were very very small and extremely greasy. Will not go back.

Decided to give Riverside a try last night and was not impressed. From the moment I walked in and smelled the moldy stuffy air in their bar area. My son ordered chicken fettuccine it was suppose to be linguine noodles but as you can see it was spaghetti noodles. More than likely the Alfredo sauce was reheated because the oil/butter was separated from the cheese causing this bowl of oil/butter as you can see in the picture. We sent this back. No manger came to apologize. We didn't get anything else because we waited 45 for our food to come out already. I had the "Thursday Special" which was not very special. A twice backed potato was served very dry and without much flavor. And a couple of balls and stuffed bell pepper that might have had a couple pieces of crab in them. I looked up at one point to see if I was close to a air conditioning vent as it was a little warmer than you would expect and as you can see very dirty and dusty ceiling tiles and vents.

Don't bother making a reservation. Our table was not reserved when we arrived.. a hostess sat us at a table, and we didn't get a server for 20 min while tables around us were sat and waited on.. there's a lady that walks around the restaurant and mingles w tables but didn't recognize that we were without any service. Went talk to the hostess, who was the same woman who sat us down but obviously did not assign a server, and an overworked waitress from another part of the restaurant finally came 5 min later. It took 1.5 hours for our entrees to be served after our order. Our guests came from out of town 2 hours away.. We arrived at 720pm and left really late. Good food but poor service from the beginning.... sad to make a poor review but poor mistakes one after another..

Hadn't been here in 12-15 years but last night we decided to stop by on our way from Baton Rouge to Austin. Brought back a lot of great memories and the food was great, too. My favorite is the lump crabmeat in butter. Something tells me that raccoon might be a menu special in the near future (if you know, you know).

I always try to order local cuisine when i travel and this is the first time i wished i had just went with bonefish. I ordered the crab dinner; the grab gumbo looked like congealed turkey gravy and the etouffe looked like its lighter cousin. I cant even begin to explain the crab cake. The stuffed crab was very good but isnt stuffed at all; the crab aluminum thingy it was served in was cute though. There was something crab related in a circle tin it was marvelous. I wish the whole meal had been that and the not stuffed crab. Finally i am a huge bread pudding fan and this bread pudding was delicious but i would not have known that if i hadnt forced myself to eat it. Presentation is everything and the bread pudding looked like a Mound of cold wet dog food.

We were referred by our hotel to this restaurant. I remembered the name fondly, so we up for a good time on a Sunday afternoon. It's not what I remember after 50 years but the desserts; sweet potato beignets and bread pudding were fantastic. Wish I could tell you about great service and food, but it was average at best. We wish the server knew the ingredients of menu items. She made numerous trips to ask kitchen or other servers for basic questions for my food allergies. The manager came to the rescue and sent over another server to cleanup the mess and found our credit card the first server thought was lost (so much drama). We had friends two tables away from us, different server and they had a 5 Star experience. You are only good as your weakest trained associates. We give them high marks for the recovery. We will be back hopefully in less than 50 years.

Excellent food and service as always! I really enjoyed their oysters on the half shell. They're served in such a nice way, with all sorts of things to do. Their other foods are delicious too! The imperial crab was amazing! It's always a treat to go to Poor Boy's Riverside Inn.

Food is always good . The experience is probably the reason I always go back. The people have been so good to talk to and fell like family to me.

Let me preface this by saying that about 75% of my memories with my maternal family take place at Riverside Inn, so I have a lot of love for this spot. When I found myself unexpectedly in Lafayette, I decided to take my kids. And wow. It didn't go well. The staff was so sweet. But lord have mercy it took an hour to get our food. Not from when we got there or got seated. But from when we ordered. Which means that all told, we were there for nearly two hours. The food was good, so if you have time to kill, definitely go. But don't expect timely service. Or water refills. Or a second basket of bread. Or a manager who does more than grunt when you tell her there's an issue.

We love to eat here. But a Friday night. 1bar tender for the restaurant and packed bar area, ridiculous. And it's not the the first time we experience this. Hire another bar tender.

Had the lump crab meat in butter, and it was mouthwatering! The crab meat was perfect! The server was very attentive, and it has a great view. Will definitely visit again next time I'm in Lafayette for work.

To say the service was unacceptable is an understatement because service was non existent. My husband and I had literally got up and left a few minutes ago because we sat there for 20 minutes at our table, no acknowledgment from any of the staff and no one had even asked if we had been helped. This was our first time coming to this restaurant and this is our last.

I have been from Cajun to Creole country and back this week. I had lots of great food in New Orleans in the French Quarter, to some amazing vendors at the Jazz & Heritage Festival. This place made me feel like I just ate the most authentic down home comfort food in Louisiana! My wife had a grilled seafood platter, and I did a grilled tilapia smothered in crawfish etouffee sauce. Phenomenal!

Disappointing would be an understatement! This used to be our favorite restaurant. However, we had not been there for several years. The portions were less than half of what they served a few years back. The prices were high considering the size of the portions, the food itself was less than what we were accustomed to from this establishment. Only one person from our party of eleven considered the food acceptable. None agreed that we would be back. We gave it two stars because the service was above average.